Fan Fiction / Wolf's Rain Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ My Father, The Outlaw ❯ Sympathy of Evil ( Chapter 8 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: chickenlover2 
I now remember why I don't like mm.org for fics. I hate that they don't accept wordperfect and I have to change everything just to post.
Even then the formatting doesn't look right.
T.T
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction / Wolf's Rain Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Comedy / Adventure | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 11.02.2005 | Pages: 4 | Words: 4.5K | Visits: 354 | Status: Work In Progress
I now remember why I don't like mm.org for fics. I hate that they don't accept wordperfect and I have to change everything just to post.
Even then the formatting doesn't look right.
T.T
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction / Wolf's Rain Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Comedy / Adventure | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 11.02.2005 | Pages: 4 | Words: 4.5K | Visits: 354 | Status: Work In Progress
Here comes another one. Right at you.
...Lame I know, humor me.
#~#~#
We were crawling through the bushes, my dress was getting dirty. Shippo didn’t seem to care.
“We’re almost there. You remember the plan?”
How could I not? It was amazingly simple.
I nodded and continued to crawl. Shippo didn’t really have to crawl, he is already so short, but I think he did it because he wanted to feel sneaky.
“Okay, stay here and I’ll go get her. Just be really quiet.”
I think he realized his mistake as soon as he put his little hand to his mouth. I’ve never been loud.
Shippo crawled out and I submerged myself further in the dense, browning bushes. A few leaves fell on my head. I rolled my dress up to my knees so I could run if I needed to. I pulled the bundle off my back and held it.
On the outside it was a rough brown blanket but inside it was what I needed to protect.
The new clothes I had picked for Kagome were neatly packed. There were the red pants, I had washed them in the village before we left. The shirt she had before, however, was torn and bloodied. Something I couldn’t fix. So I had packed a different shirt. I can’t say it’s a new shirt because it looked fairly worn. But it had been the best I could do.
The shirt was a very light shade of grey. It looked like a slightly classier version of a villager shirt. It was meant to be worn loose around the stomach, I suspected the shirt might be for a pregnant woman. The sleeves were long and wide. When I found the shirt it was ripped in two places, the collar and the hem. The sleeves were barely attached to the shirt and slightly more faded than the rest of the shirt.
I wanted Kagome to have a good shirt. So I performed my small part. I worked a bit of magic into the shirt, making it appear new. I tried to make it as strong as armor but I’m not sure if that worked. I’m still not an expert in spells.
“I hope she likes these.”
There was a crashing noise and Shippo ran through in his fox form. A woman ran behind him. I didn’t show my surprise as I rolled the clothes up and threw the package across my back. I followed the two as fast as I could, what we were running from I don’t know. There were no shouts or crashes behind us, just the bushes sighing as we left them.
I remember looking back. Perhaps it was an apparition or my imagination but I saw a woman in red looking towards us with a smile. She opened her arms and took a few steps towards us.
I had slowed down and was tempted to run to the woman. But I bumped into someone.
‘Inuyasha!’
Apparently Shippo had run into Inuyasha who was running the other way. I glanced over the shoulder of the woman who we had rescued before turning around.
I didn’t see anything but the greens and browns of the forest.
#~#~#
I was finally allowed to go outside today.
My hand was still numb though when I felt it with the other hand for breaks, there were none. It should have been fine.
My stomach was sore and protested to me moving around. It was healing little better than my hand. At the narrowest point of the wound the skin had put itself back together. But there was a bright pink scar starting.
I feel much healthier though. I’m not sick anymore.
I think it’s because of the stuff Robin’s been slipping into my boiled water. He appears around sunset and slips something in while trying to be sneaky. I must admit he is, I never saw him put it in. But once I started to feel better I realized there was something in the water.
So, anyways, I was outside. It was nearing noon and the sun was plenty bright. There was a snoring guard to my left and a brute of a woman to my right. In front of me was a boy holding the leather leashes of a pack of brown dogs. Behind me, there was only the woods.
I should just turn around and run. There’s nothing stopping me. That guy’s asleep and the girl’s too far away. But what about those dogs?
“Dogs...”
Yes, dogs were like wolves. And they reminded me too much of Inuyasha. Was he even looking for me now?
“Do you want to pet them? They’re real nice.”
The boy was talking to me. He was sitting on the ground with the dogs by him. They were panting and sleeping and they certainly didn’t look threatening. I walked a bit forward to reach my hand out. A bigger dog sniffed it before laying it’s head on it’s paws. I was about to pet it.
Inuyasha never did tell me the rest of his story. The part about the dogs, maybe when we meet up again I can ask him to tell me.
I wonder...If Inuyasha is part dog, then he had a dog as a parent? He never does talk about his past. He knows about mine. For the most part. Maybe I can start by telling him more about my past?
Will he even care?
“Hey! Watch ou-“
*CRUNCH*
The dog wasn’t so peaceful. As my hand had been going to pet it, it decided it didn’t like me anymore. It’s teeth were sunk into my hand and there was blood dripping onto my dress. But I didn’t cry or scream at the sight. I cringed because of the look of it, however, I couldn’t feel the pain.
I had unconsciously used my numb hand to pet it. A lucky break for me. It had no feeling though it could move a bit on it’s own. Nothing intricate, just patting something or raising it. It didn’t have a sense of feel or pain. I could touch so many more things with it.
The boy was jerking the dog away but it wouldn’t let go. Blood kept pouring and the rest of my arm started to numb.
“Come on, Rees! Let go! Please! I don’t want you to die!”
The boy had tears streaming down his face. They fell on his pants and a few of the leashes in his hand.
Why is he so upset about the dog? Is it going to get punished?
My hand was suddenly free, for the most part. I looked up to see Robin with a sword in his hand. He had sneaked up and sliced the dog’s head off. Slowly, though. To give it the most pain. It was still alive when most of it’s neck was cut through, all that was left was the jugular. But Robin wanted a show.
“REES!”
The boy sobbed. The other dogs were snarling at Robin and surrounded the boy.
“How dare you injure her.”
I sprang forward as Robin made for the boy’s head.
I was in time to have his blood spray over my face and arms. His face was so scared, so sad. He had reached for his dogs but they couldn’t help. The boy still had a head on his limp shoulders, but barely.
Our blood was merging on the ground. I cradled both the boy’s and the dog’s head. The other dogs made a circle about us. Robin stood outside the circle, sword dropped on the ground. He never looked natural with that sword in his hands.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t even know you’re name. What about your parents? They’ll-“
”He was an orphan. No use but caring for these things. Horrible monsters. I suppose he should have been heartbroken if he knew they were being raised to be eaten. But out of the goodness of my heart I allowed him this small joy. Come the winter both him and his dogs would be dead.”
This man, he’s crazy. Who would ever think those things? Who would ever do those foul deeds? Why?
“What’s wrong with you?”
I had been letting my own tears fall on the dead friends. This was the only kind of funeral they could have. And I was sorry.
“What’s wrong with you?”
#~#~#
“Startling, isn’t it? The way the sunlight hits the trees and makes them shimmer? As if the world was made to satisfy only our needs for beauty. And truly beauty belongs to it and nothing else. But perhaps we may boast beauty as well? After all, you are certainly a beauty among mortal women. And you should be thankful towards your handsome, glorious, heroic father.”
The girl looked away. Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned him? But he was right outside the door making sure I was saying what he wanted me to say. I really didn’t want to end up like the other rebels in this camp.
“Come now. Surely it isn’t so difficult to smile and nod. Think of how worried everyone is about you? They must be sickened with worry for you! Truly, you must realize that those who love you wish you to be happy.”
She jerked a bit. Something I said must have made her wake up some from her strange trance.
“What is...”
I nodded, waiting for her to go on but she stopped and wouldn’t say anymore. All she did was hang her head and put her hands on the floor.
“That’ll be enough from you, monk. Go eat.”
Damn, I almost got something from her. If only Robin didn’t interrupt every time she almost said something. It seemed like he was paying me only to make her almost talk but wanted the glory of talking to her first. What a weird guy.
Still, he had to know something. I mean, he’s sung about heroically in the ballads, he’s rich, he has his own village of bandits, he’s king of the bandits, he’s the best marksmen anywhere in this region, he’s clever, he never goes hungry and most importantly...He’s won the hearts of girls everywhere.
It wasn’t fair for a crazy man to get all the ladies when a perfectly normal man such as myself, never got a single one past the initial kiss.
It wasn’t normal.
“Ah sir mank! Aver here!”
Not that woman again.
But here she came. An old woman in hundreds of layers. It was semi warm out but she insisted she was cold. And that she needed the hot love of a young monk to make her warm again. I disappeared around then.
“Ah sir mank, haw I’ve langed ta see yau again! Especially after yau vanished last time. But I suppase it was sa yau cauld prepare. After all, yau’re anly a yaung man.”
“Heh heh, yes. Well, I need to go find...a tree or something. To, eh, hide my...er, acorns in.”
“I’m sure they’re very nice acarns.”
She wiggled her bushy eyebrows at me.
I got to get out of here. This woman is going to kill me with her disgusting display of...lust.
“Yes. My wife gave them to me on my twins’ first birthday. So that I would always stay loyal to her. So I need to go do that now. Goodbye!”
Free at last, free at last.
But not before hearing her last tribute about this excuse.
“Yeah but, dan’t yau wish yaur wife was hat like me?”
#~#~#
“So neither of you were thinking when you kidnaped her? Feh, just the kind of thing Shippo would do.”
“ME?! Kanna was in on it too!”
“Actually, you were the one who thought of the plan. I didn’t even really help her escape.”
“You liar! You were the one who came up with the plan!”
“No, I wasn’t. And I just told you I had nothing to do with it.”
“You guys are morons. Why didn’t I leave you back in the woods?”
“Because you’re the moron! Not us! Why do you always blame us for you not being responsible! You’re the adult!”
“Well, he really isn’t an adult, yet. If he was he would have married Miss Kagome already.”
“WHA-?!”
“Yeah, how come you haven’t married her yet? Don’t you like her?”
“Y-you don’t know what you’re talking about. Idiots.”
“But if you didn’t like her then why would we be trying to save her?”
“Indeed.”
“ARRR! SHIPPO YOU’RE DEAD!”
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
What exactly is happening?
The small camp was chaos cramped into one small space. I’d never seen this amount of chaos. Not even in battle.
“You’re so MEAN!”
I’m glad I wasn’t involved in the argument. Then again, I wouldn’t be able to even if I wanted to be. Thanks to Robin.
Robin...
I stood up and walked away. My stomach was grumbling but I didn’t care at the moment if I collapsed from hunger. At least I wouldn’t have that constant pain anymore.
“You two are impossible! Haven’t you noticed our guest left us?”
I heard the little girl’s voice. She was scolding the boys.
I guess they came back with some argument but I didn’t hear.
My right hand reached over to my back. I touched the hidden deformity gently. Wishing it would start to burn again. Just so I could remember the pain of the night.
I was so tired. I slid down to the ground and rested against a tree. If those people wanted to care for me then they’d have to come find me. Because I felt that I wasn’t going to be able to move from this spot for a long time.
So I closed my eyes and willed myself to remember that pain and feel it once more. So that I could remember.
#~#~#
It had happened when I was just starting my teenage years. I lived with my small family in a village near the mountains. My mother ran the house like a fortress, my father issued advice and the odd comfort. I was in charge of her. My baby sister, Nami.
She was only a year old when my parents announced another baby was on the way. So my mother took to her bed to rest. My father took on extra work so that we would have enough food.
Nami was always tiny. She took after mother. Mother was so little, I was already bigger than her at the age of eleven. Nami had soft brown curls and big blue eyes courtesy of Mother. I loved her but grew tired of her constant crying sometimes. She was hungry but my mother wouldn’t feed her because she claimed she had to save for the next baby to come. So I would find Nami soft berries or peas to eat. Once a week Grand One would come by with a pail of milk. And, then, little Nami would have some.
My mother was finally going to give birth. The village was having a celebration for the Mountain God who watched over the village. And father was out with a party of men to get rid of a bear that had been stealing meat. I was at home watching over Nami.
“Make sure to keep the little one calm. Your mother needs quiet, this birth will not be as easy as her previous ones. She is much older.”
I nodded to the midwife and cradled Nami to myself. Mother screamed for most of the night. The midwife came out only once to wash the blood from her hands. Then she disappeared back into the room.
I heard a raspy scream before a baby’s crying echoed through the house. I was relieved.
“Shoro! Hide yourself and the children! The village is being attacked!”
“WHAT?!”
The midwife came roaring out. In her arms was my baby brother.
“Men are attacking the village. You must take the mother and the children-“
”These children have no mother.”
“You must take these children away from here.”
“I have my own family to protect.”
“Then go, what business is mine to tell you whether to care for innocent children or not.”
“Here.”
She handed me the baby quickly and was leaving.
“Wait! What’s his name?”
She didn’t even spare a glance at me. She threw the name over her shoulder and ran.
“Kohaku.”
And suddenly the house had no adults left. I was going to go to my mother but Nami started to pull on the toes of Kohaku. I just ran out the door and towards the town hall. It was the brightest place, and I hated the dark.
When I got there, the place was on fire. There were people everywhere, burning. There was the midwife, her selfishness lead to her death is all I can say about her.
So I stood on the side with two babies in my arms and watched the fire. Kohaku was wailing for his first feed and that set off Nami’s own hunger. I wanted to cry too, so I did.
While I sat there crying, a man came to me. I couldn’t see his face clearly but he had such dark hair.
“They are hungry. Please, take this food. It will calm them.”
I trusted him. I took his food and shoved into my siblings’ mouths without second thought. They stopped crying. Nami fell asleep quickly afterward while Kohaku spit it out and kept up his wailing.
“Shh...please, baby. Please, shh.”
“May I take him? Perhaps he needs to be rocked?”
I handed him the little one and held onto Nami. The man handled Kohaku so gently for a man. He cradled the little head and cooed.
“You must be hungry and tired, take this and follow me.”
He handed me a piece of soft, creamy bread that I ate in one bite. I stumbled after him with the heavy Nami in my arms. He was heading into the woods. I was scared of the dark and was whimpering.
“Please, don’t be afraid. Your father and some of the villagers are waiting deeper in the woods.”
I held onto this thought and went through the woods. When we came to a clearing I did find my father and some of the villagers that escaped the inferno of the attacked village.
“Father!”
“Sango, come here, my daughter.”
He opened his arms and I fell into them gladly.
I didn’t realize that the man had also scooped up Nami and held her beside Kohaku. All I knew was the warmth of my father after the scary night.
“I’m sorry that you must die this way, my daughter.”
“Father?”
I looked up at his sad face and then I screamed.
Father had driven his sickle into my back and ran it through my skin. The villagers fell to their knees and watched. The man stood in the shadows, something glistened on his face if a stray light passed it.
Finally Father released me. I dropped to the ground, crying. He dropped beside me while dropping the bloody sickle.
I felt something strange inside me stir. I wanted revenge. And I took my chance at it.
I picked the weapon up and plunged it into my father’s neck. He died quickly. And I fell near him, rolling into a ball.
“I am sorry, little one. I will keep these ones safe. Goodbye.”
As he turned to leave the man stopped. He went over to me and touched my back gingerly. I was surprised when the pain dulled and I fell asleep.
#~#~#
When I awoke I was surrounded by a band of men with arrows and various other weapons pointed at me.
“So the sleeping princess awakes. Now let us see if her palace does the same.”
I couldn’t see who was talking to me but I didn’t recognize the deep voice. It wasn’t the same voice as the man ‘s from last night. That voice had been liquid metal.
“Now, I am wondering, dear little princess, whether you were the one to kill these people.”
I cried again. I remembered the sickle and the pain. The pain was much less now but still horrible.
“So you are sorry for your actions? I’m afraid it’s too late to save your soul.”
The man walked over to me and pulled me into the air by my hair. I cried just a little bit harder.
“But would you like to live?”
I nodded my head. It was the truth, I didn’t want to die.
“The princess is selfish, as all princesses are.”
The man punched me, hard. My lip cracked and my cheek stung. I thought he would kill me.
“That was the first of many beatings that you will live through. So that you may transform from a princess to a warrior.”
He dropped me. I fell on my wrist and it now hurt as well.
“Come along now.”
So I followed the man, getting kicked and tripped by the men surrounding me. I wanted to give up but they would kill me. And I really was too selfish to die.
I promised that I would save myself. I would escape and get back Nami and Kohaku. And we’d live happily ever after like princes and princesses should. If only I was a princess.
#~#~#
“Okay, we’ve got to find Kagome. Tonight.”
“Yeah, but how? You’re other plan sure didn’t work out.”
“Feh!”
I wasn’t happy with Shippo pointing out my flaws. He should know the code of the stronger one leads and the weaker...doesn’t.
“Maybe I could help this time, too?”
“What can you do? You’re a little girl.”
“I’m a sorceress.”
“Can you do anything?”
“I can cause a distraction.”
Pfft...Shippo could do that by just running through there and singing. And maybe he should...hmm.
“I’ve got a better idea.”
“You have an idea?”
“SHUT UP!”
My hand went down on his head. I just got so frustrated with him and his talking. He needed to listen once in awhile.
“What was your idea?”
“Shippo will cause the distraction since he’s the only one who’s got a big enough mouth for it...”
“You’re one to talk.”
“And you’ll make some sort of spell to hide me and you. So we can get through the village.”
“I’m not sure if I can. I might be able to for a few minutes at a time but...”
Damn girl. Sorceress indeed! Gah.
My ears swivelled back towards the forest. Someone was coming into the clearing without trying to hide themselves.
A growl was halfway out my mouth when the girl we rescued before came out. She looked pretty serious.
“Pweathe, let ne elp oo.”
Huh, I bet she’s trying to give our heads to her leader so she can get back her credit. Cheap.
“No.”
“Okay.”
“...”< br> Me and Shippo were already trying to kill each other. I vaguely saw Kanna walk over to the woman and hand her something.
“Hey, is that food?”
“Yes.”
“Is it meat?”
“Yes.”
That witch was holding out meat! I knew she was wasn’t really into the partner thing.
“Hey Kanna?”
“Yes, Shippo?”
“Maybe you could help her talk, with your magic?”
Kanna looked down to the ground and shuffled her feet.
And back comes the shy girl act. Pathetic.
“I’m not sure. That could be difficult.”
“Could you try?”
“But...”
“Feh! If the witch doesn’t have anything she is sure of doing why don’t we throw her in a lake and see if she’s sure if she’ll sink.”
I crossed my arms and started walking away. Shippo was fuming at me, the new girl was silent of course and Kanna said something under her breath.
“Give this tongue a rebirth!”
Is she actually trying to do it?
I turned to see a light shoot from Kanna’s mouth and into the new girl’s.
My eyes widened as I realized what Kanna had done. Just to show me she could.
#~#~#
Yay, another chapter for the likes of you.
Put less Kagome and more other characters in. Sango’s part was hard to write and I’m not quite satisfied with it. But I’ll let it be until I have enough energy to fix it.
My other fics aren’t dead but I started school again. And it’s harder this year. Plus I need to get more sleep into my schedule so I’ll be going to sleep earlier than last year.
I’d love feedback but I don’t need it. I write this story because I like writing it not because I want reviews. And that’s what it is with all my stories.
Are you living in the real world?
...Lame I know, humor me.
#~#~#
We were crawling through the bushes, my dress was getting dirty. Shippo didn’t seem to care.
“We’re almost there. You remember the plan?”
How could I not? It was amazingly simple.
I nodded and continued to crawl. Shippo didn’t really have to crawl, he is already so short, but I think he did it because he wanted to feel sneaky.
“Okay, stay here and I’ll go get her. Just be really quiet.”
I think he realized his mistake as soon as he put his little hand to his mouth. I’ve never been loud.
Shippo crawled out and I submerged myself further in the dense, browning bushes. A few leaves fell on my head. I rolled my dress up to my knees so I could run if I needed to. I pulled the bundle off my back and held it.
On the outside it was a rough brown blanket but inside it was what I needed to protect.
The new clothes I had picked for Kagome were neatly packed. There were the red pants, I had washed them in the village before we left. The shirt she had before, however, was torn and bloodied. Something I couldn’t fix. So I had packed a different shirt. I can’t say it’s a new shirt because it looked fairly worn. But it had been the best I could do.
The shirt was a very light shade of grey. It looked like a slightly classier version of a villager shirt. It was meant to be worn loose around the stomach, I suspected the shirt might be for a pregnant woman. The sleeves were long and wide. When I found the shirt it was ripped in two places, the collar and the hem. The sleeves were barely attached to the shirt and slightly more faded than the rest of the shirt.
I wanted Kagome to have a good shirt. So I performed my small part. I worked a bit of magic into the shirt, making it appear new. I tried to make it as strong as armor but I’m not sure if that worked. I’m still not an expert in spells.
“I hope she likes these.”
There was a crashing noise and Shippo ran through in his fox form. A woman ran behind him. I didn’t show my surprise as I rolled the clothes up and threw the package across my back. I followed the two as fast as I could, what we were running from I don’t know. There were no shouts or crashes behind us, just the bushes sighing as we left them.
I remember looking back. Perhaps it was an apparition or my imagination but I saw a woman in red looking towards us with a smile. She opened her arms and took a few steps towards us.
I had slowed down and was tempted to run to the woman. But I bumped into someone.
‘Inuyasha!’
Apparently Shippo had run into Inuyasha who was running the other way. I glanced over the shoulder of the woman who we had rescued before turning around.
I didn’t see anything but the greens and browns of the forest.
#~#~#
I was finally allowed to go outside today.
My hand was still numb though when I felt it with the other hand for breaks, there were none. It should have been fine.
My stomach was sore and protested to me moving around. It was healing little better than my hand. At the narrowest point of the wound the skin had put itself back together. But there was a bright pink scar starting.
I feel much healthier though. I’m not sick anymore.
I think it’s because of the stuff Robin’s been slipping into my boiled water. He appears around sunset and slips something in while trying to be sneaky. I must admit he is, I never saw him put it in. But once I started to feel better I realized there was something in the water.
So, anyways, I was outside. It was nearing noon and the sun was plenty bright. There was a snoring guard to my left and a brute of a woman to my right. In front of me was a boy holding the leather leashes of a pack of brown dogs. Behind me, there was only the woods.
I should just turn around and run. There’s nothing stopping me. That guy’s asleep and the girl’s too far away. But what about those dogs?
“Dogs...”
Yes, dogs were like wolves. And they reminded me too much of Inuyasha. Was he even looking for me now?
“Do you want to pet them? They’re real nice.”
The boy was talking to me. He was sitting on the ground with the dogs by him. They were panting and sleeping and they certainly didn’t look threatening. I walked a bit forward to reach my hand out. A bigger dog sniffed it before laying it’s head on it’s paws. I was about to pet it.
Inuyasha never did tell me the rest of his story. The part about the dogs, maybe when we meet up again I can ask him to tell me.
I wonder...If Inuyasha is part dog, then he had a dog as a parent? He never does talk about his past. He knows about mine. For the most part. Maybe I can start by telling him more about my past?
Will he even care?
“Hey! Watch ou-“
*CRUNCH*
The dog wasn’t so peaceful. As my hand had been going to pet it, it decided it didn’t like me anymore. It’s teeth were sunk into my hand and there was blood dripping onto my dress. But I didn’t cry or scream at the sight. I cringed because of the look of it, however, I couldn’t feel the pain.
I had unconsciously used my numb hand to pet it. A lucky break for me. It had no feeling though it could move a bit on it’s own. Nothing intricate, just patting something or raising it. It didn’t have a sense of feel or pain. I could touch so many more things with it.
The boy was jerking the dog away but it wouldn’t let go. Blood kept pouring and the rest of my arm started to numb.
“Come on, Rees! Let go! Please! I don’t want you to die!”
The boy had tears streaming down his face. They fell on his pants and a few of the leashes in his hand.
Why is he so upset about the dog? Is it going to get punished?
My hand was suddenly free, for the most part. I looked up to see Robin with a sword in his hand. He had sneaked up and sliced the dog’s head off. Slowly, though. To give it the most pain. It was still alive when most of it’s neck was cut through, all that was left was the jugular. But Robin wanted a show.
“REES!”
The boy sobbed. The other dogs were snarling at Robin and surrounded the boy.
“How dare you injure her.”
I sprang forward as Robin made for the boy’s head.
I was in time to have his blood spray over my face and arms. His face was so scared, so sad. He had reached for his dogs but they couldn’t help. The boy still had a head on his limp shoulders, but barely.
Our blood was merging on the ground. I cradled both the boy’s and the dog’s head. The other dogs made a circle about us. Robin stood outside the circle, sword dropped on the ground. He never looked natural with that sword in his hands.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t even know you’re name. What about your parents? They’ll-“
”He was an orphan. No use but caring for these things. Horrible monsters. I suppose he should have been heartbroken if he knew they were being raised to be eaten. But out of the goodness of my heart I allowed him this small joy. Come the winter both him and his dogs would be dead.”
This man, he’s crazy. Who would ever think those things? Who would ever do those foul deeds? Why?
“What’s wrong with you?”
I had been letting my own tears fall on the dead friends. This was the only kind of funeral they could have. And I was sorry.
“What’s wrong with you?”
#~#~#
“Startling, isn’t it? The way the sunlight hits the trees and makes them shimmer? As if the world was made to satisfy only our needs for beauty. And truly beauty belongs to it and nothing else. But perhaps we may boast beauty as well? After all, you are certainly a beauty among mortal women. And you should be thankful towards your handsome, glorious, heroic father.”
The girl looked away. Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned him? But he was right outside the door making sure I was saying what he wanted me to say. I really didn’t want to end up like the other rebels in this camp.
“Come now. Surely it isn’t so difficult to smile and nod. Think of how worried everyone is about you? They must be sickened with worry for you! Truly, you must realize that those who love you wish you to be happy.”
She jerked a bit. Something I said must have made her wake up some from her strange trance.
“What is...”
I nodded, waiting for her to go on but she stopped and wouldn’t say anymore. All she did was hang her head and put her hands on the floor.
“That’ll be enough from you, monk. Go eat.”
Damn, I almost got something from her. If only Robin didn’t interrupt every time she almost said something. It seemed like he was paying me only to make her almost talk but wanted the glory of talking to her first. What a weird guy.
Still, he had to know something. I mean, he’s sung about heroically in the ballads, he’s rich, he has his own village of bandits, he’s king of the bandits, he’s the best marksmen anywhere in this region, he’s clever, he never goes hungry and most importantly...He’s won the hearts of girls everywhere.
It wasn’t fair for a crazy man to get all the ladies when a perfectly normal man such as myself, never got a single one past the initial kiss.
It wasn’t normal.
“Ah sir mank! Aver here!”
Not that woman again.
But here she came. An old woman in hundreds of layers. It was semi warm out but she insisted she was cold. And that she needed the hot love of a young monk to make her warm again. I disappeared around then.
“Ah sir mank, haw I’ve langed ta see yau again! Especially after yau vanished last time. But I suppase it was sa yau cauld prepare. After all, yau’re anly a yaung man.”
“Heh heh, yes. Well, I need to go find...a tree or something. To, eh, hide my...er, acorns in.”
“I’m sure they’re very nice acarns.”
She wiggled her bushy eyebrows at me.
I got to get out of here. This woman is going to kill me with her disgusting display of...lust.
“Yes. My wife gave them to me on my twins’ first birthday. So that I would always stay loyal to her. So I need to go do that now. Goodbye!”
Free at last, free at last.
But not before hearing her last tribute about this excuse.
“Yeah but, dan’t yau wish yaur wife was hat like me?”
#~#~#
“So neither of you were thinking when you kidnaped her? Feh, just the kind of thing Shippo would do.”
“ME?! Kanna was in on it too!”
“Actually, you were the one who thought of the plan. I didn’t even really help her escape.”
“You liar! You were the one who came up with the plan!”
“No, I wasn’t. And I just told you I had nothing to do with it.”
“You guys are morons. Why didn’t I leave you back in the woods?”
“Because you’re the moron! Not us! Why do you always blame us for you not being responsible! You’re the adult!”
“Well, he really isn’t an adult, yet. If he was he would have married Miss Kagome already.”
“WHA-?!”
“Yeah, how come you haven’t married her yet? Don’t you like her?”
“Y-you don’t know what you’re talking about. Idiots.”
“But if you didn’t like her then why would we be trying to save her?”
“Indeed.”
“ARRR! SHIPPO YOU’RE DEAD!”
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
What exactly is happening?
The small camp was chaos cramped into one small space. I’d never seen this amount of chaos. Not even in battle.
“You’re so MEAN!”
I’m glad I wasn’t involved in the argument. Then again, I wouldn’t be able to even if I wanted to be. Thanks to Robin.
Robin...
I stood up and walked away. My stomach was grumbling but I didn’t care at the moment if I collapsed from hunger. At least I wouldn’t have that constant pain anymore.
“You two are impossible! Haven’t you noticed our guest left us?”
I heard the little girl’s voice. She was scolding the boys.
I guess they came back with some argument but I didn’t hear.
My right hand reached over to my back. I touched the hidden deformity gently. Wishing it would start to burn again. Just so I could remember the pain of the night.
I was so tired. I slid down to the ground and rested against a tree. If those people wanted to care for me then they’d have to come find me. Because I felt that I wasn’t going to be able to move from this spot for a long time.
So I closed my eyes and willed myself to remember that pain and feel it once more. So that I could remember.
#~#~#
It had happened when I was just starting my teenage years. I lived with my small family in a village near the mountains. My mother ran the house like a fortress, my father issued advice and the odd comfort. I was in charge of her. My baby sister, Nami.
She was only a year old when my parents announced another baby was on the way. So my mother took to her bed to rest. My father took on extra work so that we would have enough food.
Nami was always tiny. She took after mother. Mother was so little, I was already bigger than her at the age of eleven. Nami had soft brown curls and big blue eyes courtesy of Mother. I loved her but grew tired of her constant crying sometimes. She was hungry but my mother wouldn’t feed her because she claimed she had to save for the next baby to come. So I would find Nami soft berries or peas to eat. Once a week Grand One would come by with a pail of milk. And, then, little Nami would have some.
My mother was finally going to give birth. The village was having a celebration for the Mountain God who watched over the village. And father was out with a party of men to get rid of a bear that had been stealing meat. I was at home watching over Nami.
“Make sure to keep the little one calm. Your mother needs quiet, this birth will not be as easy as her previous ones. She is much older.”
I nodded to the midwife and cradled Nami to myself. Mother screamed for most of the night. The midwife came out only once to wash the blood from her hands. Then she disappeared back into the room.
I heard a raspy scream before a baby’s crying echoed through the house. I was relieved.
“Shoro! Hide yourself and the children! The village is being attacked!”
“WHAT?!”
The midwife came roaring out. In her arms was my baby brother.
“Men are attacking the village. You must take the mother and the children-“
”These children have no mother.”
“You must take these children away from here.”
“I have my own family to protect.”
“Then go, what business is mine to tell you whether to care for innocent children or not.”
“Here.”
She handed me the baby quickly and was leaving.
“Wait! What’s his name?”
She didn’t even spare a glance at me. She threw the name over her shoulder and ran.
“Kohaku.”
And suddenly the house had no adults left. I was going to go to my mother but Nami started to pull on the toes of Kohaku. I just ran out the door and towards the town hall. It was the brightest place, and I hated the dark.
When I got there, the place was on fire. There were people everywhere, burning. There was the midwife, her selfishness lead to her death is all I can say about her.
So I stood on the side with two babies in my arms and watched the fire. Kohaku was wailing for his first feed and that set off Nami’s own hunger. I wanted to cry too, so I did.
While I sat there crying, a man came to me. I couldn’t see his face clearly but he had such dark hair.
“They are hungry. Please, take this food. It will calm them.”
I trusted him. I took his food and shoved into my siblings’ mouths without second thought. They stopped crying. Nami fell asleep quickly afterward while Kohaku spit it out and kept up his wailing.
“Shh...please, baby. Please, shh.”
“May I take him? Perhaps he needs to be rocked?”
I handed him the little one and held onto Nami. The man handled Kohaku so gently for a man. He cradled the little head and cooed.
“You must be hungry and tired, take this and follow me.”
He handed me a piece of soft, creamy bread that I ate in one bite. I stumbled after him with the heavy Nami in my arms. He was heading into the woods. I was scared of the dark and was whimpering.
“Please, don’t be afraid. Your father and some of the villagers are waiting deeper in the woods.”
I held onto this thought and went through the woods. When we came to a clearing I did find my father and some of the villagers that escaped the inferno of the attacked village.
“Father!”
“Sango, come here, my daughter.”
He opened his arms and I fell into them gladly.
I didn’t realize that the man had also scooped up Nami and held her beside Kohaku. All I knew was the warmth of my father after the scary night.
“I’m sorry that you must die this way, my daughter.”
“Father?”
I looked up at his sad face and then I screamed.
Father had driven his sickle into my back and ran it through my skin. The villagers fell to their knees and watched. The man stood in the shadows, something glistened on his face if a stray light passed it.
Finally Father released me. I dropped to the ground, crying. He dropped beside me while dropping the bloody sickle.
I felt something strange inside me stir. I wanted revenge. And I took my chance at it.
I picked the weapon up and plunged it into my father’s neck. He died quickly. And I fell near him, rolling into a ball.
“I am sorry, little one. I will keep these ones safe. Goodbye.”
As he turned to leave the man stopped. He went over to me and touched my back gingerly. I was surprised when the pain dulled and I fell asleep.
#~#~#
When I awoke I was surrounded by a band of men with arrows and various other weapons pointed at me.
“So the sleeping princess awakes. Now let us see if her palace does the same.”
I couldn’t see who was talking to me but I didn’t recognize the deep voice. It wasn’t the same voice as the man ‘s from last night. That voice had been liquid metal.
“Now, I am wondering, dear little princess, whether you were the one to kill these people.”
I cried again. I remembered the sickle and the pain. The pain was much less now but still horrible.
“So you are sorry for your actions? I’m afraid it’s too late to save your soul.”
The man walked over to me and pulled me into the air by my hair. I cried just a little bit harder.
“But would you like to live?”
I nodded my head. It was the truth, I didn’t want to die.
“The princess is selfish, as all princesses are.”
The man punched me, hard. My lip cracked and my cheek stung. I thought he would kill me.
“That was the first of many beatings that you will live through. So that you may transform from a princess to a warrior.”
He dropped me. I fell on my wrist and it now hurt as well.
“Come along now.”
So I followed the man, getting kicked and tripped by the men surrounding me. I wanted to give up but they would kill me. And I really was too selfish to die.
I promised that I would save myself. I would escape and get back Nami and Kohaku. And we’d live happily ever after like princes and princesses should. If only I was a princess.
#~#~#
“Okay, we’ve got to find Kagome. Tonight.”
“Yeah, but how? You’re other plan sure didn’t work out.”
“Feh!”
I wasn’t happy with Shippo pointing out my flaws. He should know the code of the stronger one leads and the weaker...doesn’t.
“Maybe I could help this time, too?”
“What can you do? You’re a little girl.”
“I’m a sorceress.”
“Can you do anything?”
“I can cause a distraction.”
Pfft...Shippo could do that by just running through there and singing. And maybe he should...hmm.
“I’ve got a better idea.”
“You have an idea?”
“SHUT UP!”
My hand went down on his head. I just got so frustrated with him and his talking. He needed to listen once in awhile.
“What was your idea?”
“Shippo will cause the distraction since he’s the only one who’s got a big enough mouth for it...”
“You’re one to talk.”
“And you’ll make some sort of spell to hide me and you. So we can get through the village.”
“I’m not sure if I can. I might be able to for a few minutes at a time but...”
Damn girl. Sorceress indeed! Gah.
My ears swivelled back towards the forest. Someone was coming into the clearing without trying to hide themselves.
A growl was halfway out my mouth when the girl we rescued before came out. She looked pretty serious.
“Pweathe, let ne elp oo.”
Huh, I bet she’s trying to give our heads to her leader so she can get back her credit. Cheap.
“No.”
“Okay.”
“...”< br> Me and Shippo were already trying to kill each other. I vaguely saw Kanna walk over to the woman and hand her something.
“Hey, is that food?”
“Yes.”
“Is it meat?”
“Yes.”
That witch was holding out meat! I knew she was wasn’t really into the partner thing.
“Hey Kanna?”
“Yes, Shippo?”
“Maybe you could help her talk, with your magic?”
Kanna looked down to the ground and shuffled her feet.
And back comes the shy girl act. Pathetic.
“I’m not sure. That could be difficult.”
“Could you try?”
“But...”
“Feh! If the witch doesn’t have anything she is sure of doing why don’t we throw her in a lake and see if she’s sure if she’ll sink.”
I crossed my arms and started walking away. Shippo was fuming at me, the new girl was silent of course and Kanna said something under her breath.
“Give this tongue a rebirth!”
Is she actually trying to do it?
I turned to see a light shoot from Kanna’s mouth and into the new girl’s.
My eyes widened as I realized what Kanna had done. Just to show me she could.
#~#~#
Yay, another chapter for the likes of you.
Put less Kagome and more other characters in. Sango’s part was hard to write and I’m not quite satisfied with it. But I’ll let it be until I have enough energy to fix it.
My other fics aren’t dead but I started school again. And it’s harder this year. Plus I need to get more sleep into my schedule so I’ll be going to sleep earlier than last year.
I’d love feedback but I don’t need it. I write this story because I like writing it not because I want reviews. And that’s what it is with all my stories.
Are you living in the real world?